Ep. 71: Why Menstruation Matters — A Conversation about Activism, Economics, and Wholeness with Dr. Lara Owen

What might change if we treated menstruation not as something to hide, but as a source of knowledge - about ourselves, our society, and the systems we live in? What if the way we relate to the menstrual cycle could teach us how to build a more humane world? Could paying attention to menstruation be a way of paying attention to what our culture has forgotten — care, rest, and integrity?In this episode I have the great honour to talk to Dr. Lara Owen. Lara is recognised internationally for her pioneering and continuing work on menstruation. She is the author of Her Blood Is Gold, first published by HarperCollins in 1993, and Reorganizing Menstruation, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. She holds a PhD in menstrual organisation from Monash Business School and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews. Lara teaches a Master’s level course in Contemporary Menstrual Studies that attracts students globally and consults with organisations worldwide on menstrual policies and practices.In this episode, Lara shares generously from both her academic and spiritual paths — the “both/and” of menstruality: holding intellect and embodiment, activism and inner work, courage and stillness. We talk about how her life’s work evolved from a dream and a deep listening to the soul, to becoming a leading global voice on menstruation and menstrual organisation.Together we explored:🌙 How Lara followed and follows her soul path - from acupuncture to writing Her Blood Is Gold and pursuing groundbreaking menstrual research …❤️ … and ow living and working from the heart — even in humble, small ways — nurtures both the individual and the collective.🩸 Why menstruation is the “canary in the coal mine” of capitalism — and what it reveals about our economic and social systems.💡 The idea that our lives are activism — that living with integrity and wholeness is a radical act of resistance.🧘 The importance of slowing down, trusting timing, and avoiding shortcuts in a world obsessed with productivity and profit.🔬 The need for nuanced, empirical research in menstruality — and Lara’s vision for bridging the embodied and the academic.📚 Her latest book Reorganising Menstruation, and how menstruation offers us a model for reorganising society toward care, commons, and wholeness.🌏 The rise of menstrual literacy and the revolutionary potential of women reclaiming their cycles.This is a conversation about embodiment, integrity, and imagination — about how deep trust and alignment can become the quiet revolution our world needs.Enjoy!🌟 Join my softly rebellious on Substack: Subscribe here.🌟 Sign up here to receive a copy of my free workshop about The wild and poetic anatomy of the female body.🌟 Work with me 1:1 online or in person, find out more here.---💛 The Soft Rebellion Podcast is created and hosted by Flurina Dominique Thali. I love hearing from you. To contact me, email [email protected]:Flurina Dominique Thali & The Soft Rebellion: @flurina.thali / www.flurinathali.comMy guest, Lara Owen: www.laraowen.com - you can find all informations about her course on her webpage, follow Lara on instagram @drlaraowenCredits:Intro/outro music – ‘Hymn for Jim’ by Aspyrian: Robin Porter – saxophone, Jack Gillen – guitar, Matt Parkinson – drums, composed by Robin Porter, listen to the full track here.Graphic: Annina Thali, for more information click here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flurinathali.substack.com